An Old Flame
by Salem14
Summary: What happens when a call sends Daria racing back to Lawndale? After all of these years she can't shake the feeling that she missed something, an invisible force, pulling her back. But when Daria gets there, is the force what she had imagined? One-shot.. or not, you decide...


**This is my first Daria fan-fiction.  
Daria: Me.. and Trent?  
Trent: Hey...  
Daria: Yeah, yeah... anyways Salem14 does not own the rights to Daria  
Trent: We're just her puppets. Hey!  
Daria:...  
Trent: I'm not just some Muppet, I'll never be you puppet...  
Daria: Read and Review  
Trent: I don't live like Corporate America.. I'll never secede...**

* * *

"Hey Daria."  
Daria held the phone up to her ear, she heard the voice, shaky and deep as it was, but she couldn't respond, even after all these years. There was a long pause.  
"Uh... Hey."  
It had been five years since she'd met him, but she could still barely talk to him.  
"Trent? Trent are you asleep? Hello?"  
Her voice reeked of desperation.  
Dial tone. 'Nice Daria you made him hang up.'  
Daria turned on Sick Sad World, hoping that would solve her heartache. She was home from Berkley for the summer, hoping to get together with Jane to catch up. The phone rang again, but Daria realized that it was probably just some guy for Quinn, but maybe she should listen in, just for pure entertainment purposes. However she didn't speak.  
"Hey." She recognized that raspy voice. She held back her urge to speak.  
"Hello." Jake answered.  
"Is your daughter home?"  
"Quinn honey."  
"Actually, I..." He was cut off.  
"Hello."  
"Who is this?" He had forgotten, for a moment, Daria's sister.  
"You called me."  
"I didn't call you."  
Quinn, hung up the phone. Trent stood confused and took his chance.  
"Hey."  
"What do you want?" Daria asked.  
"Janey and I were going to for pizza, wanna come?"  
"Uh..." Daria didn't know what to say.  
"Great and yeah, right, that sounds excellent see you then."  
"Get some new lines." Daria hung up. On the other end Trent was smiling. Trent knocked on Daria's door sometime later. He was greeted by Jake.  
"Hello son, come in." He ushered Trent to the couch forgetting to tell Daria of his arrival.  
"I... Uh..." Trent was never good in situations like these.  
"Now son, what are you doing here?"  
"I'm here to uh pick up Daria, we're meeting Janey for pizza."  
"And where is Jane?" Jake looked around.  
"Probably at the restaurant waiting."  
"And how did your "band" thing turn out?"  
"We're still Mystic Spiral, but we're thinking of changing our name."  
Daria came down for a soda and to see if Quinn had recovered from her Joey and Jeffy heartbreak. They given up on her to go out with Stacy and Tiffany. She saw Jake grilling Trent.  
"Dad. The pasta's burning."  
"Oh my pasta!" Jake went running into the kitchen.  
"You can only trick them so many times. Let's go." Daria walked out to Trent's car.  
"Right behind you."  
She closed the door behind her and waited for Trent.  
"I wasn't expecting you for hours."  
"Hey Janey said she had a surprise for us."  
"For us?" Daria was suspicious.  
Trent turned up the radio and started singing along. Daria let out a smile and shook her head remembering all of the times that this nearly exact thing had happened.  
After fifteen minutes in a car of blushing with a singing Trent, Daria was relieved to be at her old hangout, Pizza King.  
"So did Jane say what kind of surprise this was?"  
"No, I was black mailed into coming anyway."  
"Black mailed?" Daria was confused. 'What could Jane possibly have on Trent?' Daria and Trent walked in to see Jane and Jesse standing together, holding hands.  
"I knew it." Trent and Daria said simultaneously. Jane let go of Jesse.  
"Daria, I'll tell them about E.T." Jane threatened.  
"I always knew it. That's why you always did what you did." Daria glared at Jane, nearly laughing.  
"I suppose we can both join the human race now."  
Daria and Jane went over and sat in their old booth and enjoyed a pie.  
"So how is your love life going?"  
"What love life? I sleep with Mark Twain every night."  
"Wow Daria you have the weirdest sex dreams."  
"Silence. Silence young one."  
It felt good hanging out with Jane again, that was the only part of Lawndale that Daria missed, except for Trent of course.  
"You know. If you read Trent's journal it's got some pretty deep stuff. I swear he's in love. If only he can tell me with who."  
"Probably that Monique chick."  
"No they're done, he's not into that anymore." Jane gestured to Trent sitting in a booth on the side of Pizza King. Daria looked over.

Meanwhile, Trent and Jesse were engulfed in their own conversations. "Dude, my sister?" Trent felt overly protective of Jane.  
"She's hot." Jesse paused, that didn't sound right. "It's the forbidden fruits man. Once she was gone I needed her. A lot like you and..." Trent interrupted him.  
"This isn't about me. Don't mess with the band man." Trent urged.  
"It's not gonna mess with the band, we've been seeing each other for months and you haven't said anything." 'Wait that doesn't sound right either.'  
"You've been late to rehearsals for months." Trent argued.  
"You're always late."  
"Exactly." Trent felt triumphant.

Back at Daria's table.  
"He wrote a song.  
'Kindred spirit watch me die.  
It kills me to watch her cry.  
I want to stab him in the eye.  
I want to smash his skull.  
If only she were nearby.'"  
"That could be about anyone."  
"But it's not, it's about you."  
"Yeah right."  
"Hey Daria." Trent interrupted.  
"I'm heading out if you need a ride home." There was a pause.  
"Thanks." Daria got up and left the restaurant with Trent. Jane and Jesse gave each other approving looks.  
Back in the car:  
"Sorry about that. I didn't know what Janey was gonna do back there."  
"It's cool." Daria responded.  
"Yeah alright." Trent looked at Daria, she was blushing.  
He paused.  
"This is gonna ruin Mystic Spiral."  
"Not if you spell it with two y's."  
Trent started laughing, until it turned into a cough.  
"You're pretty cool Daria."  
"Thanks." Daria was shocked, all of these feelings were coming back.  
Trent pulled up at the end of Daria's street.  
"Trent are you lost?"  
"No we're being followed." Daria looked behind her, it was the cops.  
"You know the cops don't like it when you drive on the wrong side if the road."  
"Tell me about it." As the cop approached, he looked rather familiar to Daria.  
"Flirt with him."  
"What?"  
"I can't afford the ticket come on." Daria sighed and the cop knocked on the window. She knew she had seen that face before.  
"Butt-head?" Daria squinted.  
"Daria don't make fun of the cops. Sorry officer."  
"Daria? Daria? Oh... Diarrhea! Is that you?"  
"Long time no see Butt-head. So you're a cop now?"  
"Yeah and your little boy toy here was driving on the wrong side of the road and he has a warrant on him, I'm afraid I'm gonna have to bring you both downtown."  
Daria hit Trent's side.  
"He's not. Anyway Butt-head, do you remember what I taught you? When the phone makes that funny noise, you answer it."  
"Sorry about that. Didn't recognize the number."  
"That's just because of your hollowed skull."  
"Daria stop." Trent pleaded.  
"Alright Daria, we have to get together to catch up."  
"Definitely, I've missed you guys."  
Butt-head patted the top of the car.  
"You two have a nice night, but let me catch you like this again."  
"Yes officer, thank you."  
Trent looked at Daria.  
"You know that guy?" Trent asked.  
"Yeah, we went to high school together before I moved to Lawndale." Daria replied, trying to dodge any further questions.  
"I can't believe he's a cop."  
"Why?"  
"He could play his skull like a drum."  
"Oh. Did he call you..."  
Trent paused.  
"Yeah. Don't you start calling me that."  
Trent put the car in reverse and took Daria home. When she got out of the car, he tried to stop her, calling.  
"Well see you tomorrow then, Daria."  
Daria closed the door and stood stupefied as Trent drove off.  
"Yeah see you tomorrow."  
What was she thinking? Butt-head? Trent? It was all getting to confusing. Daria went into her house and up to her room. She slammed the. Doors behind her. She plopped down on her bed and turned on Sick Sad World.  
Back at the Lane residence.  
Trent walked into his living room only to find Jane and Jesse making out. Disgusting. He slammed the front door behind him. Jane and Jesse stopped.  
"So, how'd things with Daria go?" Jane asked.  
"Did you tell her?" Jesse questioned. Trent sat in-between his friend and his sister.  
"What's wrong?" Jane asked, as his brother was acting particularly gloomy.  
"What's it to you?" Trent snapped.  
"You're just acting strange, that's all."  
"Stranger than usual?" Trent asked as he stood up to go into the kitchen.  
"So no then?" Jane questioned, looking at her brother.  
"No. I was about to, but..."  
The pain was too much for Trent to bare.  
"But what?"  
"The cops." Trent looked off into space and the phone rang. Jane got up and answered it. "Hello?"  
"Hey Jane." It was Daria.  
Jane covered the phone, "It's Daria." Jesse and Trent looked up at her.  
"Well?" Jesse asked, "What does she want?"  
Jane put the receiver up to her ear.  
"What's up?"  
"You'd never guess what happened."  
"You and Trent got pulled over by the cops?"  
"Yeah. But who was the cop?"  
Jane covered the receiver again.  
"Who was the cop?" Jane whispered to Trent.  
"Some guy from her old school. He kept flirting with her." Jane nodded and put the receiver back to her ear.  
"I give up. Who?"  
"Butt-head."  
"Hey watch the language... Wait Butt-head as in..." Jane asked remembering his name from her discussions about Highland. She gulped. "The one that ruined you for all..."  
"That's the one." Daria sighed on the other end.  
Jane squinted. "What'd he want?"  
"I don't know. To get together I guess."  
Jane looked at Trent. "Cool. You're coming over tomorrow, right?"  
"I guess. Bye." Daria hung up. She laid down thinking of everything that happened to her that day.  
Back at Jane's.  
Jane put the phone down. "Sorry Trent."  
"It's not your fault." Trent looked away.  
"I'm sorry man."

The next morning at the Morgendorffer household.  
Daria jolts back to consciousness around 5:20. She had dreamed of both her experiences with both Butt-head and Trent. And what would happen if they both rejected her. What if she was imagining the signs she worried about? What if neither of them actually liked her? What was she thinking? She would be friends with both, and that was that. What was she getting herself so worked up for? She walked into the bathroom and splashed water on her face. It was Butt-head and Trent. She was a grown woman, why was she acting like Quinn? After trying to go back to sleep, Daria decided to get up and move around, which she hoped would get her mind off of everything. She put on her usual outfit, brushed her teeth and tamed her hair. She walked down stairs around 6 and made herself some tea and toast. It was hard to keep it down, but she didn't want to embarrass herself in front of either of them. She finally finished her breakfast a half hour later. She put the dishes in the sink and sat on the couch in the living room and watched countless episodes of Sick Sad World. Around noon she dragged herself to the phone and called Jane. "Hello. Did I wake you? Well I guess that means you haven't been murdered, congratulations."  
"Do you have any idea what time it is?"  
"Noon."  
"I guess that's justification. Are you coming over?"  
"Yeah I'll run over when my head grows a tail."  
"Come on. Trent's at practice, we can talk about the um the guy."  
"Butt-head?"  
"Yeah come over."  
"Fine." Daria hung up and started towards Jane's. As she reached Jane's street, Daria saw a black car parked outside of her house. She went over and knocked on the window.  
"You know people don't like it when you stalk them."  
The man rolled the window down. It was Butt-head.  
"Dia... Daria, what are you doing here?"  
"I should ask you the same thing. Anyway I'm here to visit Jane. Now go play stalker somewhere else."  
"Can't do that Daria. Trent has a warrant on his head remember?"  
"Yeah, but Jane's only here for the week. So come back when she's not home." Before he could respond, she patted the roof of his car, gave a salute and he and drove off. Daria stood aghast but composed herself and walked up to the door. She knocked twice but there was no answer. She went to knock again, but just as she raised her hand, Trent answered.  
"Hey Daria." He smiled at her.  
"You had a parasite. I got rid of it. "  
"What?" "Cops." Trent sighed.  
"They were staked out in the front yard."  
"Cool. Janey's in the kitchen." "Thanks." Daria walked over into their kitchen to see Jane sitting down chugging her coffee.  
"Hey."  
"Oh hey." Jane looked up and Daria sat across from her.  
"You missed it. There was a cop on your front lawn."  
"Yeah... You got rid of him, right?"  
"Yeah. Hey I thought you said Trent was practicing."

"He was." Daria stared Jane down.

"Yeah, yeah." Daria looked around as Trent walked in.

"So how's your art been going?"

Daria asked trying to act with a certain nonchalantness. It was definitely not working. Trent walked over by them to the fridge. He looked at Daria and Jane, then opened it and grabbed the carton of orange juice. He drank straight from it. Daria looked away and thought, 'This is the guy who's making you go crazy? Come on Daria. Have some self respect.' She looked back at her friend and Trent. Who was putting the carton back and about to leave the kitchen.

"Hey Trent, how's rehearsal coming?"

Jane asked, her voice reeked of desperation. She wanted desperately for her brother to stay. Trent took this as a sign to sit down. He sat down next to Jane. He looked over at Daria, then back at Jane, he didn't want to seem like a stalker, but it was difficult for him not to look at Daria, or think about her for that matter. But seeing Daria and the cop really left him bewildered, he didn't know what he could say to her. They weren't together, but he was still hurt by her actions, much like she was hurt when Trent told her to flirt with him.

"Fine. We ended early, or late or something."

'Classic Trent, some things never change.' Daria thought.

"Cool, cool." Jane replied.

Trent was at a lost as he stared at Daria, but turned quickly back towards Jane when Daria caught him. "Yeah."  
Jane was becoming aggravated. 'These two need to grow up and stop acting like a couple of five year olds.' She turned to Daria, but wouldn't let Trent leave.

"So Daria, tell me again about this guy who was flirting with you."

Trent could hardly control himself. How could Jane do that to him?

"Butt-head? He lived in Highland. They were really annoying."

Trent looked dumbfounded. "They?"

"Yeah. He and Beavis made life in Highland a living hell."

Jane couldn't help but smile. "Your type of guys, huh Daria?"

"They weren't intolerable. Just intellectually incapable."

Trent looked at her. Daria continued. "And now he's a police officer in Lawndale. A perfect example of a failed system."

Trent was ecstatic with what Daria had told him. What was he worried about? She could hardly stand him.

"One of my few friends in Highland."  
Or maybe not.

"But he never learned that when the phone makes that funny noise, that you're supposed to pick it up and answer."

Trent was crushed. Maybe he had to rethink telling Daria how he'd been feeling. Jane was visually disappointed, she had hoped that Trent could finally be with Daria, and that things would finally be fine. But that was just a far fetched fantasy. Daria was in the same boat. She was conflicted. She didn't know what to say or what to think. She had waited for Trent for so long, and he had still never made his feelings clear. Butt-head on the other hand was being more upfront about his approach, and Daria found it strangely appealing. And she was only praying that Jane knew what to say or do to help the confusion and awkward silence stop.

"So..." Daria mumbled.

"So..." Trent replied, trying to avoid her gaze.

Daria looked around the kitchen, then at the contents of the table. On the back right corner laid a Magic 8 Ball. Daria was desperate for answers that she picked it up. 'Will I make the right decision?' She shook the 8 ball. 'Reply hazy, try again.'

"Damn." Trent looked over. She shook it again. 'Concentrate and ask again.' Daria was growing impatient.

"What did you ask it?" Trent inquired. He feared the answer.

But, he needed to hear it as it was, to see what how he should proceed. 'Does Trent like me?' 'It is certain.' Daria looked at Trent and blushed. 'Does Butt-head?' 'You may rely on it.' "Damn."

"What are you asking it?" Jane asked. "The eight wonder?"

"Something like that." Daria put the 8 ball down. 'Well that was helpful.'

Daria looked at Trent. 'I hope you catch me, because I'm already falling.' She looked down. 'I've already fallen some thousand feet.'

"Hey Daria." Trent looked straight at her.

"Yes?" She looked up and at him, he looked serious.

"I..." He stammered.

"Yes?" 'Could it be?'

"I've had enough of this." Jane interrupted.

"Jane.." Trent tried to reason with his sister.

"Daria do you want new guy or Trent?"

"What?" Daria sat in shock.

"Jane..." Trent felt humiliated.

"What are you talking about?"

"Do you want to be with this cop guy, or Trent?"

Jane was blunt, and Daria was red.

"That's what you asked the old magic 8 ball, isn't it?"

"I... uh..." Daria stammered. "I want to..."

She paused and looked at the two of them.

"I want to be where I'm wanted, Needed, Appreciated."

She couldn't find the right word.

"Respected."

She stared down her friend. She stood up.

"Apparently not here."

She started walking towards the front door. Jane called after her.

"Daria."

She left the Lane household and started towards her house. Butt-head pulled up next to her.

"Need a lift?"

He asked. Daria looked back at the house, Trent was at the door. Something had stopped him from going after her.

"Daria..."

Both Trent and Butt-head mumbled the same thing. She stood next to his car, staring at Trent.

"Trent.. I'm so sorry.."

Trent grabbed his leather jacket and followed the car.

"I... I'm going out.."

"Yeah." She got into his car and kept staring at Trent, until he was out of the rear view mirror.

"Dia... Daria. What'd I miss? Domestic disturbance?"

Daria didn't look at him, she couldn't.

"Something like that."

He reached Daria's house and she got out.

"Thanks."

She slammed the door before he could speak. She walked up to her door and checked her bag. In it, she found Trent's private journal. She stuck it back in and walked into the lions den. The lions were preoccupied by baby gazelles in front of them, that'd created a frenzy. Daria walked upstairs into her padded room and slammed the door behind her. 'Should I read it? It has his private feelings in it.' She put her bag down on her bed and fell next to it. 'No, I suppose that's wrong.' She looked at the bag and shot up. 'On the other hand, a peak wouldn't hurt.' She sat up and criss-crossed her legs on her bed, plopping the journal on her legs. She flipped through: lyrics, family sucks, lyrics, Monique, lyrics 'Gag me' Monique sucks, lyrics, 'Ah ha' Daria. She opened to the page, but quickly closed it on her fingers.

"I can't. It's Trent's"

She told herself. With a heavy sigh she threw open the book.

* * *

**Read and Review, let me know if this should stay a one shot or continue.  
Daria: Trent... and Butt-head?  
Trent: Oh Daria, she is the one... The one I play the puppet for-o-r...  
Daria: Ugh...**


End file.
